Pessimism in the air: Antidote from the 1960s?

When I read Comments in my last Post (Thursday's), I feel there is lots of pessimism in the Malaysian air. But there is a reason to everything in life.

Last night's AMERICAN IDOLS was the most enjoyable of all the current season's episodes so far, and I believe it's chiefly due to the theme: THE BRITISH INVASION.
In was the 1960s, and I'm sure one mGf NSTMAN would have echoed this: The age of the Beatles, and other Greats that truly raised the bar in music and creativity. One reason the second millennium starting with 2000/01 suffered in creativity is (IMHO) the attack of the visual medium plus techno gadgetry -- so much so the sound and singing hhas been drowned out into secondary roles.

Last night's outstanding success of AI owed too a lot to two maestros of that bloooming era: Peter Noone (leader of Herman Hermits, who delighted with There's a Kind Of Hush) and Lulu (who aptly drew back much nostalgia with TO SIR WITH LOVE) who mentored the contestants with useful tips.
Everyone of the 11 contestants rose to the occasion, and I think Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul and Simon Cowell must be mighty hardpressed to give judgements as all the singers (save one, I think) shone in his/her choice of sixties numbers. (I would have liked it better if the lady who sang Diamonds are Forver had instead followed Lulu's advice: Go for Cilla Black's "You're My World" instead!)

At one assessment, Cowell (love him or hate him for his pretty caustic but from the heart remarks!) had just "one liner" to say of Sanjaya Malakar: "The small girl's face says it all!", and she, from the audience by gosh! was rightly acknowledged with a hug by her "idol", and later led onto centre-stage. It Can Only Happen In America -- No wonder it's monikered The Land of Everyone's Dreams Possible!:)

And how does this AI episode have any connection with my Post's Introductory obs?
I will elaborate later can, after half-CON BF!:(

10.30AM

UPDATEd @12.00 noon, rimes with Peter Noone!

The "truckloads pf pessimism" inluded one ferried from Ipoh -- the town of past&PRESENTries and hor-FUN flagged by allofhelen.blogspot.com -- have been unloading their rants and concerns at Desi's Place for two years now. I am honoured these Conversationists take the time to share, but at the same time I am concerned as a Malaysian citizen that this "pessimism" seems not to have tapered off the past two years -- of three years under a new Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi -- and in some cases discerned by Desi, this air of helplessness had in fact increased in magnitude and decibels (I was tempted to 'rite DESIbelles, but some ER complain I try too hard at DDC! No-lah, not a stooge to Washington da das capitol!:( though I wished I had been part of the American dream in the 1960s (NSTman, et tu?)

I like the ethos of mGf-hoRst @zorro-zorro-unmasked.blogspot.com, who recently advised: "Dear .. (RR, or izit RRR?), please write to express, NOT to impress."If Lulu had sung for teachers worldwide, she surely must have the likes of Bernard Khoo in mind! (unlike Bern's some 30 years (?), Desi had had a short stint of 1-1/2 years trying hard to nurture impressionable young minds...)

So from the hear, I have a message to the Young&Articulates of today -- look to the idealism and creativity of youth of the sixties, well paraded by the songs of AI last night over TV8, just mentioning a few: Mick Jagger's Tobacco Road; Dusty Springfield's You Don't Have to Say You Love me; Shirley Bassey's I, Who Have Nothin'...: Sorry, NSTman&Xpyre'&Desi, no one dared try Let It Be!

If the majority of the present Gen 3G had the fervour and idealism of the 1960s "flower child" youth, (If you're goin' to San Francisco, Be sure to wear some flowers in your hair...) there would have been greater demonstration of Rage and Outrage over the issues of the day that gave/give rise to their groundswells of doom, gloom and pessimism. The Vietnam War stired strong and deep emotions into worldwide, observable action in common cause of Love and Peace; the Iraq War spurred only loud rantings and muted action.

This partly answers the reason WHY I had said in my Intro: "But there is a reason to everything in life." Dear Y&A, thy pessimism is embedded in the Malaysian air but the answer partly lies embedded in YOU.

Dear Awe:

Is dare a thread with page N17, the Star (See, I like the MSM sometimes, though mGf Howsy thinks orthervice!:(:



Nation
Saturday March 24, 2007


Suhakam: Police interfered with protesters’ right to assembly

KUALA LUMPUR: Excessive force was used by certain police officers against a group of demonstrators at KLCC last year, with one officer being positively identified as one of the aggressors.

In Suhakam’s 355-page report of the public inquiry into the incident on May 28 last year, which was released yesterday, the panel found that excessive force was used on an otherwise peaceful assembly.

The report said excessive force was used on 10 persons and identified L/Kpl Mustika Lambonding as being the Federal Reserve Unit (FRU) officer who hit one of the demonstrators, Lee Huat Seng, with his baton.

However, witnesses were unable to identify the other officers because there was no identification (either names or badge number) due to the outer protective armour covering their uniforms (that had nametags).

The panel also examined whether the assembly at KLCC was peaceful and orderly, and the report included excerpts from the inquiry, particularly with the then Dang Wangi OCPD Asst Comm Kamal Pasha, who was the overall ground commanding officer that day.

ACP Kamal told the panel that he expected the crowd to be “unruly and rowdy,” in contrast with Chief Insp Pusparajan and L/Kpl Mohd Nasaruddin Abdul Aziz (both from the FRU), who felt that the crowd was orderly.

ACP Kamal said the crowd was uttering unpleasant words about the Government and that bystanders would have reacted by fighting among themselves.

Panel chairman Datuk K.C. Vohrah said the assembly at KLCC was peaceful and orderly and that the police, in dispersing the assembly, had interfered with the right to the freedom of assembly that was enshrined in Article 10 of the Federal Constitution.

Vohrah said the heart of the panel’s recommendations was the decriminalising of peaceful assembly without a licence under section 27 of the Police Act and the call for the repeal of related subsections.

“In lieu of the requirement for a licence, the panel recommends that the organiser of a proposed peaceful assembly notify the police, and the police and organiser discuss practical arrangements.”

The report’s recommendations added that the rights of any person engaged in lawful advocacy, protest or dissent are not limited by any authority and it should also be ensured that such rights would not be considered as prejudicial to national security.

The report also outlined a number of steps that it recommended the police implement urgently, such as wearing clear identification during crowd control, and prohibiting the chasing and arresting of people who are moving or have moved away.

The panel of inquiry that comprised Vohrah, Datuk Choo Siew Kioh, Datuk Dr Micheal Yeoh and Datin Paduka Zaitoon Datuk Othman, said the report would be forwarded to the related authorities on Monday.



Pay RM1.20 you stingy pokai, get a copy of The People's Paper(I don't get 30% conmiss... for this promo...), then see also:

Peaceful demo 'necessary' in a democracy